“If we’re attempting to make this a better society, we have to admit that we need to make people better. And regardless of what your past has been, I always think it’s a good thing to look to the future and try to find ways to improve your situation,” Norman said in an interview with Here and Now.

Obtaining a degree from an Ivy League college is a challenging goal to achieve, even to those whose early days were untarnished. Therefore, it’s only right for one to truly acknowledge the constructive mindset that Norman invited into his life in the pursuance of a positive transformation. Though he could’ve stuck to his old ways, he decided to take a different route, one that often seems imaginary to those who’ve had an immeasurably rough past.

Norman was able to ameliorate his future through a change in outlook, but it doesn’t stop at that — he continues to assist those who have also been behind bars.